#45 How can you not like me?

After school, Zheng Hongkai and his friends were going to the billiard hall and invited Cheng Mi to join them.

Cheng Mi declined. Although she had been with them at school for the past few days, she wouldn’t go out and mess around with them after school.

Failing to convince her, they gave Cheng Mi a ride home since it was on their way.

Although Zheng Hongkai had a thing for Qi Yunmiao, he was never short of girls around him, all with fair skin and cute faces. His sycophants would say, in front of the girls, that Zheng Hongkai was dating a counterfeit Qi Yunmiao.

They had some of Qi Yunmiao’s looks and physique, but they were lacking her spirit.

Qi Yunmiao’s arrogance and self-indulgence were innate and difficult for anyone to imitate.

After returning home, accompanied by the girl’s affected and sugary voice, the girl talked to Zheng Hongkai, to Cheng Yao, and to everyone else, but not to Cheng Mi. From time to time, she would roll her eyes and covertly ask Zheng Hongkai why he would hang out with someone like Cheng Mi.

Cheng Mi wasn’t on the same level as her, so she didn’t even acknowledge her existence.

It wasn’t because she was generous; it was because these petty actions weren’t worth her time.

From a distance, even before they reached the building, Cheng Mi saw the person downstairs at a glance.

He was wearing the same school uniform as their group, but on him, it looked like a completely different piece of clothing.

Zheng Hongkai and Cheng Yao’s group had their zippers undone, looking lazy, and their uniforms were loose and messy.

The person downstairs had a crisp, clean uniform that fit him properly.

An invisible divide separated the two groups of people.

Not only Cheng Mi, but Cheng Yao and Zheng Hongkai also saw Si Tingyan.

Nobody whispered about why Si Tingyan was there. They had obviously heard the gossip about Cheng Mi, knew that she and Si Tingyan were step-siblings, and were aware of the complex love triangle.

Si Tingyan stood downstairs, not avoiding them. His gaze was fixed on Cheng Mi.

Amidst the noisy chattering of the people beside her, Cheng Mi’s eyes met Si Tingyan’s.

This was the first time they had truly looked each other in the eye in a while.

Under his calm gaze, something was churning, threatening to swallow her silently.

Their eyes met in mid-air, and neither of them looked away.

Cheng Mi looked at him, slowly slowing her pace.

Si Tingyan was clearly a better student with a better character than anyone here, yet his aura was more intimidating than anyone else’s.

It wasn’t aggressive but made people feel a sense of coldness and danger for no reason.

Gradually, the atmosphere among the people next to her was unconsciously affected by him, and their voices quieted down.

Cheng Mi stopped and didn’t let Zheng Hongkai and the others go any further.

But even though she stopped, she couldn’t stop Zheng Hongkai’s mouth.

Zheng Hongkai had always been annoyed with Si Tingyan. He was narrow-minded and thought about how he couldn’t get Qi Yunmiao, but she was going after Si Tingyan, who was cold towards her.

So he felt resentful and would always make a sarcastic remark when he saw him.

What’s more, the girl next to him had no sense and told him that Si Tingyan was quite handsome.

Zheng Hongkai snorted, but he didn’t show it on his face. He smiled and made a precise jab, teasing Cheng Mi and Cheng Yao: “So, you guys have a deal. That round of drinks is a must. What’s with all the flirting? Why don’t you just get together tomorrow and buy us drinks?”

The group cheered them on.

Zheng Hongkai bumped Cheng Yao’s arm: “Buddy, what do you think?”

Cheng Mi’s gaze unintentionally swept over Si Tingyan. His expression was calm, and so were his eyes.

But he was very composed and didn’t get angry, which was completely different from Zheng Hongkai.

Zheng Hongkai and the others were still making a fuss. Cheng Mi looked at them and interrupted: “See you tomorrow. I’m going back. Have fun at the billiard hall.”

Cheng Yao asked her: “Are you really not coming?”

Cheng Mi had never given Cheng Yao any hope, so she still refused: “No.”

She didn’t even bother to find an excuse.

Zheng Hongkai’s girlfriend pulled on his shirt, whining that she wanted to leave. Her voice was sharp, as if she was deliberately trying to get someone’s attention.

Cheng Mi’s gaze finally briefly fell on her.

Before leaving, Cheng Yao said to Cheng Mi: “Okay, then we’ll get going.”

Cheng Mi nodded.

Amidst the girl’s cooing, Zheng Hongkai and Cheng Yao’s group left.

Si Tingyan was still downstairs waiting for Cheng Mi. Cheng Mi turned back.

Their eyes met again.

It wasn’t even six or seven in the evening. The area downstairs in the residential building was not bustling with people. Outside, at the intersection, the sounds of horns weaved through the tangled wires.

The air had a slight chill, as if freezing the commotion.

Including Si Tingyan’s eyes. He was staring at her.

Cheng Mi was also looking at him.

Neither of them moved at first. After a while, Cheng Mi naturally walked toward him.

Unlike Si Tingyan, Cheng Mi’s way of dealing with awkwardness was never to pretend to be cold. As long as the other person looked at her, she could talk and smile as usual.

The only difference was the degree of intimacy or distance in her words.

This gentle attitude was often the most hurtful.

Cheng Mi walked up to him and said: “Looking for me?”

Surprisingly, Si Tingyan just gave her a cold look, then turned and went upstairs.

He didn’t do anything to her.

He was so calm that Cheng Mi felt something was off.

She stood in place and watched Si Tingyan walk into the stairwell. After her gaze lingered on his back for a few seconds, she followed him upstairs.

________________________________________

The stairwell was empty and quiet, with only the sound of footsteps, one after the other.

The yellowish light from the sky had long since faded into a grayish-white. The light was covered in a layer of dark gray.

Cheng Mi was walking behind Si Tingyan, a bit behind him. Their footsteps occasionally overlapped.

For a brief moment, it was quiet. Her eyes were fixed on Si Tingyan’s back.

Soon, their footfalls were out of sync again.

From the first floor to the second, and at the turn of the stairs to the third floor, Si Tingyan stopped.

Cheng Mi knew that Si Tingyan wouldn’t let her go.

She was two or three steps behind him. When Si Tingyan stopped, her footsteps didn’t falter, and she continued to walk up.

Cheng Mi knew that even if she didn’t go up, Si Tingyan would make her.

Sure enough, before she could even walk past him, he grabbed her by the arm with a cold face and pulled her to the window.

There was no sign of anger or embarrassment on his face, but the force was not small at all, so much so that Cheng Mi didn’t even have to entertain the unrealistic idea of struggling free.

There was a suffocating emotion pressing between Si Tingyan’s brows, and he unleashed it all on her, as if he wanted to tightly restrain her limbs and soul.

Cheng Mi was just as crazy as him.

She wasn’t particularly surprised by what he did next.

His somewhat cold lips, with their burning heat, landed fiercely on her lips.

By the window, while the light was still bright and there were still people laughing outside on the street.

The moment he touched her, Cheng Mi was instantly set on fire.

For a moment, she was so crazy that she wanted to lose control with him.

But Cheng Mi still had a sliver of rationality, and she was able to control it with ease. She couldn’t be as reckless as Si Tingyan.

Just as she was about to turn her face away, Si Tingyan seemed to have anticipated that she would try to escape. He held her chin so tightly that she couldn’t move at all.

Si Tingyan’s kiss wasn’t savage, but it wasn’t particularly gentle either. It was teasing her desires.

It had the ability to make a person lose control.

“Si Tingyan, let go.”

It was only then that Cheng Mi realized Si Tingyan wasn’t looking at her. In the past, when they kissed, he would always look at her, not missing a single expression on her face.

But not today.

Si Tingyan’s gaze grazed past the side of Cheng Mi’s face, his eyes like a calm, dark pool, fixed on the street below.

His eyes met Cheng Yao’s, who hadn’t gone far and had just turned his head back.

Cheng Mi soon felt that something was wrong. Si Tingyan gave her this chance. His fingers, with their well-defined knuckles, slightly manipulated her chin.

Cheng Mi’s vision immediately fell on the street below and directly met Cheng Yao’s gaze, who was looking up at them.

Si Tingyan not only watched himself but also wanted Cheng Mi to watch.

In her line of sight was the person she had just refused to kiss not long ago.

And now, her lips were being mercilessly ravaged by someone.

By the window again, and kissing. An idea suddenly flashed through Cheng Mi’s mind.

She was ashamed that she hadn’t even thought about what the person downstairs might be thinking. She retracted her gaze and looked at Si Tingyan.

“You saw me at the school infirmary?” she asked in a gap between kisses.

Si Tingyan also retracted his aggressive gaze. His indifference was the answer.

Not far downstairs, there was not only Cheng Yao but also Zheng Hongkai and the others, although Cheng Yao was the last one.

Even if those people were already a certain distance away, as long as they turned their heads like Cheng Yao, they would be able to see them.

If they were seen by them, these people loved to talk, and the news of her and Si Tingyan kissing would definitely be all over the place tomorrow.

Cheng Mi didn’t lash out or get angry. In fact, her tone was gentle, as if she wanted to continue their passionate moment.

She moved her lips slightly away from his, their breaths intertwined: “Should we go somewhere else?”

Si Tingyan wouldn’t willingly fall for such a small trick.

Of course, he didn’t listen to her: “Are you afraid of them seeing?”

“What do you think?” Cheng Mi looked him in the eye. “Not only will they see, but Auntie Huiru will also be coming home soon.”

After she said that, Si Tingyan sealed her mouth: “Then let’s continue.”

Cheng Mi felt pain from what he was doing to her, but she didn’t use brute force to push him away. A few seconds later, she slowly started to kiss him back.

With a lingering affection.

This seemed to be unexpected for Si Tingyan. He paused slightly.

It was at this moment, when he was caught off guard, that Cheng Mi hugged his waist and turned him to the wall beside them.

Si Tingyan’s eyes instantly darkened. He grabbed Cheng Mi, broke away from her lips, and pinned her against the wall.

Cheng Mi knew he was angry.

Her shoulders were pressed against the wall. Her posture wasn’t panicked, and there was still a hint of affection in her eyes. She didn’t blame him.

Cheng Mi knew that Si Tingyan was giving her the cold shoulder for these past few days because he had a sense of pride and dignity.

But Cheng Mi didn’t know that his pride was being eroded every single second, eventually being swallowed up by his turbulent and twisted nature.

He wanted Cheng Mi. No matter if she liked him or agreed to be with him, she was his.

Cheng Mi became more and more aware that there was something wrong with the emotions in his eyes. She wanted to reach out.

Si Tingyan’s thin lips suddenly parted: “It’s okay for it to be someone else, but not me, right?”

There was a hint of broken dignity in his gloominess.

Cheng Mi’s hand paused slightly.

She never expected Si Tingyan to say something like this, but she suddenly understood what he was talking about.

Being with someone else to make Li Yeheng angry—why could it be someone else, but not him?

Cheng Mi’s hand naturally moved to the side of his face, her middle finger resting behind his ear, her fingertips gently caressing his face: “Why do you have to compare yourself to them?”

She said: “I love you more, Si Tingyan.”

The weight of Cheng Mi’s words always sounded insignificant, as if they were half true and half false.

There wasn’t much genuine emotion in them, yet they sounded incredibly affectionate.

Si Tingyan clearly didn’t like what she said. The dark desires that were constantly brewing within him weren’t soothed at all. On the contrary, they became even more frenzied and cruel.

They were face to face. Cheng Mi’s back was against the wall, and in front of her was his face, which could make her desires run wild at any moment.

He was on top of the world, so why should she be dragged down here by her?

Cheng Mi’s vision suddenly darkened, then brightened. Immediately after, she felt a painful bite on her collarbone.

Si Tingyan’s face was against her neck.

The stinging pain on her collarbone was there, but she could also clearly feel him restraining himself.

Si Tingyan’s voice was a little muffled against her neck, but it also revealed a very unnatural possessiveness.

“You’re the one who provoked me first, Cheng Mi.”

“How can you not like me?”